Energy absorber for automobile safety belts

Abstract

An energy absorber for automobile safety belts which comprises a mounting rigidly or non-rigidly coupled to the chassis, a take-up member which is rotatable relative to the mounting and a torsion bar located between the mounting and the take-up member such that when an impact force is sensed, the torsion bar absorbs the energy of the impact force.

I claim .Iadd.as my invention: .Iaddend. 
     
       1. Energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising a take-up member, a force-transmitting member and a mounting rotatable relative to said take-up member, and an elongated .Iadd.plastically deformable .Iaddend.torsion bar rotated about its longitudinal axis between said mounting and said take-up member for absorbing large amounts of energy when the take-up member rotates relative to the mounting. .[.2. Energy absorber according to claim 1, wherein said torsion rod is capable 
     
     
        of being plastically deformed..]. 3. Energy absorber according to claim .[.2.]. .Iadd.1 .Iaddend.wherein said torsion bar is capable of being plastically deformed .[. with said.]. .Iadd.and has an .Iaddend.elastic deformability .[.being.]. .Iadd.which is .Iaddend.relatively slight as 
     
     
        compared to its plastic deformability. 4. Enerby absorber according to claim 3, wherein said torsion bar is stressed only for torson for 
     
     
        accommodating rotation between said mounting and said take-up member. 5. Energy absorber according to claim 1, wherein said mounting comprises a U-shaped bracket having two legs connected with each other non-rotatably, each of said legs having an opening to rotatably support the take-up 
     
     
        member, said take-up member forming a sleeve. 6. Energy absorber according to claim 1, wherein said mounting is rigidly connected with the vehicle. 
     
     
           Energy absorber according to claim 1, wherein said force-transmitting 
     
     
        member is an automobile seat belt. 8. Energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising a take-up member, a force-transmitting member and a mounting rotatable relative to said take-up member, said mounting comprising a U-shaped bracket having two legs connected with each other non-rotatably, each of said legs having an opening to rotatably support the take-up member, said take-up member forming a sleeve, and a .Iadd.plastically deformable .Iaddend.torsion bar rotated between said mounting and said take-up member for absorbing large amounts of energy when the take-up member rotates relative to the mounting; said torsion bar being connected at one of its ends non-rotatably with said sleeve and at its other end non-rotatably with one 
     
     
        of said legs via an intermediate member. 9. Energy absorber according to claim 8, wherein said intermediate member is a flange having an opening 
     
     
        with which said one end of the torsion bar is in positive engagement. 10. Energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising a take-up member, a force-transmitting member and a mounting rotatable relative to said take-up member, said mounting comprising a U-shaped bracket having two legs connected with each other non-rotatably, each of said legs having an opening to rotatably support the take-up member and a .Iadd.plastically deformable .Iaddend.torsion bar rotated between said mounting and said take-up member for absorbing large amounts of energy when the take-up member rotates relative to the mounting, said 
     
     
        take-up member forming a sleeve which surrounds said torsion bar. 11. Energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising a take-up member, a force-transmitting member and a mounting rotatable relative to said take-up member, and a .Iadd.plastically deformable .Iaddend.torsion bar rotated between said mounting and said take-up member for absorbing large amounts of energy when the take-up member rotates relative to the mounting, said take-up member forming a sleeve, said torsion bar being supported at its center non-rotatably relative to said sleeve, and at both of its ends non-rotatably in said 
     
     
        mounting. 12. Energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising a take-up member, a force-transmitting member and a mounting rotatable relative to said take-up member, and a .Iadd.plastically deformable .Iaddend.torsion bar rotated between said mounting and said take-up member for absorbing large amounts of energy when the take-up member rotates relative to the mounting, said mounting having two parallel legs formed of flanges, two connecting bolts holding said legs in a non-rotatable mutual relation, said force-transmitting member having two ends wound on said take-up member from opposite sides and being fed around the respective connecting bolts so that when said force-transmitting member stretches said take-up member rotates, and the mounting is braced at the force-transmitting member by means of said 
     
     
        connecting bolts. 13. Energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising a take-up member, a force-transmitting member and a mounting rotatable relative to said take-up member, a .Iadd.plastically deformable .Iaddend.torsion bar rotated between said mounting and said take-up member for absorbing large amounts of energy when the take-up member rotates relative to the mounting, and a clutch means responsive to a horizontal acceleration or a rotation of the earth acceleration vector being connected between said torsion bar and take-up member for blocking 
     
     
        the rotation of said take-up member. 14. Energy absorber according to claim 13, wherein said clutch means comprises a gear rigidly connected with one end of the torsion bar and a lever having a free end, having the form of a ball socket, said lever resting on a spherical inertial member and having blocking cogs which engage with said gear in the coupled condition. .Iadd. 15. An energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising, a restraining member for restraining a passenger in a vehicle,   a member having an axis about which said restraining member is wound,   a mounting for said member and supporting said member for rotation relative thereto,   an elongated torsion bar for twisting about its longitudinal axis and plastically deforming on rotation of said member about its axis relative to said mounting due to forces applied to the member by said restraining member thereby absorbing energy, and   means for nonrotatably connecting one portion of said torsion bar to said member and for nonrotatably connecting another portion of said torsion bar to said mounting to enable said twisting of said torsion bar to occur. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16. An energy absorber as defined in claim 15 wherein said member is a sleeve member and said mounting has a pair of legs supporting opposite ends of said sleeve member, said torsion bar at least in part being located within said sleeve member and coaxial therewith. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 17. An energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising,   a restraining member,   means providing a storage of said restraining member and from which storage said restraining member is protractable in response to force applied thereto,   and means responsive to protraction of said restraining member to absorb energy which created protraction of the restraining member,   said means responsive to protraction comprising a torsion bar comprising an elongated longitudinally extending member having an axis extending transverse to the direction of protraction of said restraining member, said elongated longitudinally extending member having a first portion nonrotatably connected with a portion of said restraining member, means for mounting said first portion of said elongated longitudinally extending member for rotation about said axis extending transverse to the direction of protraction of said restraining member upon protraction of said restraining member and   for fixing a second portion of said elongated longitudinally extending member which is axially spaced from said first portion from rotation about said axis extending transverse to the direction of protraction of said restraining member upon protraction of said restraining member, said elongated longitudinally extending member twisting about said axis extending transverse to the direction of protraction of said restraining member and plastically deforming on protraction of said restraining   
     
     
        member. .Iaddend..Iadd. 18.  An energy absorber as defined in claim 17 including means for restraining said first portion of said elongated longitudinally extending member against movement relative to said restraining member in directions transverse to said axis, and including means for restraining said second portion of said elongated longitudinally extending member against movement in directions transverse to said axis upon protraction of said restraining member. .Iaddend.